Upon hearing the Fourth Elder's words, Xue Shitian's brow furrowed. It wasn't that he *couldn't* kill Shen Haoran; it was just that there was no deep-seated hatred between them. True, he had been annoyed with Shen Haoran back in Divine Martial City. The man's strength posed a potential threat to his own status as the number one of the younger generation in the Celestial Spirit Sect, and perhaps even the entire Northern Domain.
But more than worry, Xue Shitian felt an intense craving—a yearning for a true expert. In the Northern Domain, he was the number one of the younger generation. No one could challenge his position, but that also meant no one could truly pressure him. Shen Haoran was the first person to make him feel tense. 'How many years has it been since I've felt this surge of excitement, this constant pressure?' he wondered. The thought of simply killing Shen Haoran left him feeling reluctant.
